Easy loading ribbon package



Jan. 28, 1969 w, GQFF, JR" ET AL 3,424,292

EASY LOADING RIBBON PACKAGE Filed June 28,-1966 FIG. 2

\NVENTORS.

WILLIE comm. JESSE w. SPEARS 6 .WM W BY F ATT EY.

United States Patent 3,424,292 EASY LOADING RIBBON PACKAGE Willie Golf, Jr., and Jesse W. Spears, Lexington, Ky., as-

signors to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 28, 1966, Ser. No. 561,242 US. Cl. 197-151 Int. Cl. B411 33/ 1 6 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This ribbon package is constructed to simplify loading of ribbon into a typewriter, or other similar printer, and is especially useful where access to a printer ribbon feed mechanism is limited by adjacent structure.

A ribbon feed mechanism, for a character matrix type typewriter, is described in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 17-l8, published September 1963; entitled Typewriter Ribbon Feed, by J. B. ODaniel and L. E. Palmer. The feed mechanism includes a capstan and pressure roll that meter constant increments of a one-use ribbon. Threading of a new ribbon on such a mechanism involves not only the usual insertion of ribbon into the ribbon lift fork or guides, but also insertion of the ribbon between the feed capstan and its associated pressure roll. A flange takeup spool is employed to provid an adequate container for the used ribbon and is mounted adjacent the capstan for compactness. The spool flanges limit access to the ribbon from one direction and adjacent typewriter parts may, as typewriters become more sophisticated, limit access to the capstan from the other direction. Ribbon loading into such a mechanism can be a tedious, dirty and perhaps frustrating task.

Accordingly, it has been an object of our invention to devise and develop an improved ribbon package in- :cluding a loading assistant to enable the rapid, clean insertion and tracking of an ink ribbon on a captan feed mechanism while requiring a minimum of physical dexterity.

Another object of our invention has been to devise and develop an improved ribbon takeup spool and loading assistant that can be installed in a capstan feed mechanism with principally a simple drop-in motion, even where access to the ribbon feed mechanism is somewhat limited.

Another important object of our invention has been to devise a ribbon loading assistant that is manufacturable at a low cost thereby permitting it to be disposable and to make a one-time use thereof, as part of a supply package, economically feasible.

A further important object of our invention has been to enhance the marketability of ribbon packages with a minimum of added cost by contributing significantly to the operators convenience and productivity.

The ribbon package of our invention employs a loading assistant or loop forming device constructed to maintain a stable loop of ribbon fixedly positioned relative to the takeup spool and dimensionally related to the typewriter capstan and spool mounting geometry to permit a simple drop-in insertion of the ribbon into cooperative engagement with the capstan. The loop is formed about a projection or projections on one end of an arm that extends outwardly beyond the takeup spool flanges. The arm is preferably keyed to the takeup spool and includes means such as a clamping projection for holding the ribbon loop formed around the projection at its outer end, in a taut, controllable condition. The arm is removably mounted on the takeup spool by an eject pin that fits within the central mounting bore thereof. Insertion of th takeup spool onto a ribbon mounting spindle of the typewriter will automatically eject the loading assistant therefrom. Our loading assistant is of simple construction and can be injection-molded of an inexpensive plastic thereby enhancing its value as a disposable one-use part of an improved ribbon package.

These and other objects, features and advantages of our ribbon package will be more completely and clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a top or plan Yiew of a ribbon package including a loading assistant constructed in accordance with our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of our ribbon package taken along line IIII of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a simplified operational view of the takeup spool of our ribbon package showing the mode of its insertion onto a capstan ribbon feed mechanism.

Our ribbon package P includes, as is common in the art, an unfianged supply spool 11 having a full supply of transfer or ink ribbon 12; an empty flanged ribbon takeup spool 13 having a hub 14 and a central or internal mounting bore 15; and a connecting span 12a of the ribbon extending between the spool 11 and the hub 14 of spool 13.

The spools 11 and 13 are frictionally held in a compact assembly or unit by a label card 16 that presses between one flange of the spool 13 and the ribbon 12 on spool 11, as best seen in FIGURE 2. The package P is enveloped in a clear plastic wrapping 17 for clean handling and also as an added protection against accidental disassembly.

The ribbon span 12a is tracked or doubled back around a disposable loop-forming device or loading assistant 20 that provides a stable loop of ribbon 12b projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of the flanged spool 13. The operative portions of the loading assistant 20 are best seen in FIGURE 2. It includes an arm 21, that supports a spreader or other loop forming projection means 22 at its outward end. The spreader 22 separates the sides of the loop 12b for straddling a feed capstan during ribbon insertion. It will be appreciated that the spreader 22 can be of geometric shapes other than a half cylinder, as shown.

The arm 21 also supports a combined keying and clamping projection 23 that cooperates with a keyhole portion 24 in one flange of the spool 13. The arm 21 is thus positively secured in a substantially fixed geometrical relationship relative to the spool 13 and can be readily positioned bymanipulation of the spool 13. The clamping projection 23 further comprises, at its extreme inward part, a holding head 25 that clamp-engages the span of ribbon 12a against the spool hub 14 as the ribbon leaves the supply spool 11 and first begins the loop around the projection means 22. The loop thus is held taut and hence, stable, so long as the assistant 20 is in place. Even accidental dropping of the takeup spool during loading will not impair the loop 12b.

The assistant 20 also includes an eject pin 26 that cooperatively fits within the central bore 15 of the takeup spool 13. The eject pin 26 is of an adequate length to be engaged by the takeup spool mounting spindle of a printer onto which the ribbon is installed, and thereby be forced outwardly to facilitate removal of the loading assistant.

It can be seen that structural modifications can be made to this loading assistant without destroying the cooperative relationships of the functions which produce the desired effect. For example, the keying operation can be accomplished non-positively by frictional engagement of the eject pin with the spool bore.

The ribbon package described above is constructed for installation on a feed mechanism like that described in the aforesaid Technical Disclosure Bulletin, and as partially shown in FIGURE 3. Only the flanged takeup spool 13 is shown since loading of the supply spool 11 and threading of the ribbon through the ribbon lift guides is the same as is well known in the prior art. The span of ribbon 12a preferably has a clean handling or non-linked leader portion 120 as is well known to those skilled in the art. The ribbon feed mechanism of FIGURE 3 includes a base shown as the print matrix carrier portion of a stationary platen typewriter. The base 30 carries a ;power driven, incrementally rotating ribbon feed capstan 31 and an opposed pressure roll 32 that is pivotally mounted for movement into gripping engagement with the capstan 31. The control for the pressure roll 32 is well known in the art, forms no part of our invention, and thus is not shown. The base 30 also supports a rotatable takeup spool mounting spindle or printer portion 33 for supportably receiving the central bore 15 of the flanged takeup spool 13, and includes key portions 34 by which the takeup spool 13 is rotatably driven. The spindle 33 is operatively connected by a slipping spring belt transmission 35 to the power driven capstan 31 and is rotated thereby during each ribbon feed operation.

Installation of our improved ribbon package is as follows: in FIGURE 3 the supply spool 11 is assumed to have been loaded and the ribbon span 12a tracked through the guide fingers, although this is not shown. The ribbon takeup spool 13 remains to be installed as the final operation of ribbon loading. The operator holds the spool 13 over the spindle 33 and, by turning the spool, positions the open loop 12b over the capstan 31. The length of arm 21 and width of the spreader 22 is selected to accommodate the geometry of the capstan 31 and mounting spindle 33. During this manipulation the loop 12b is maintained taut and controllable by the clamping projection 23. Having positioned the ribbon spool, as described above,

the operator simply drops the assembly downwardly, as

shown by the dotted lines, onto its final position and tracking is completed. The act of positioning the spool 13 on the spindle 33 causes a cooperative engagement of the eject pin 26 therewith and raises the loading assistant 20 up from the spool 13 permitting it to be removed without danger to fingernails or a requirement for additional tools.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that we have provided a particularly simple and inexpensive loading assistant that enhances the ribbon package of which it is a disposable part.

Having thus described our invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, we claim:

1. A ribbon package including a full spool of transfer ribbon, an empty flanged spool having a hub and a central mounting bore therethrough, a span of said ribbon connected therebetween, and a disposable ribbon loading assistant removably mounted on said flanged spool for forming and maintaining an open loop of said ribbon span projecting outwardly beyond the spool flanges, where- 4 in the improvement comprises the loading assistant havmg:

an arm extending from the center of said flanged spool to beyond the flanges thereof,

an eject pin slidably mounted within said mounting bore of said flanged spool for cooperatively receiving a portion of a printer into which the ribbon is to be loaded, to at least partially separate said loading assistant from said flanged spool upon insertion thereof into a printer,

projection means formed at the external end of said arm engaging said ribbon span that is doubled back therearound to form a loop external of said spool flanges, and

a clamping projection forceably pressing said ribbon span against said flanged spool hub to retain said loop taut around said projection means.

2. A ribbon package as defined in claim 1 further comprising means positively preventing substantial rotation of said arm relative to said flanged spool.

3. A ribbon package for use in an impact printer having a ribbon feed capstan, and a takeup spool mounting spindle for cooperatively receiving a takeup spool by an internal bore thereof, comprising in combination, a full spool of transfer ribbon, a ribbon takeup spool including a hub, a central mounting bore therethrough and a pair of flanges extending outwardly therefrom, and a span of ribbon connected between said spools, said takeup spool having a removable ribbon loading assistant mounted thereon and supporting a stable loop of ribbon projecting outwardly beyond said takeup spool flanges, wherein the improvement comprises said loading assistant having:

an arm extending from the center of said takeup spool flanges and having a length that is somewhat greater than the distance bet-ween said mounting spindle and said capstan,

an eject pin normally slidably mounted within said bore of said takeup spool and engageable with said spindle to be at least partially ejected from said takeup spool thereby upon placement of said takeup spool on said spindle,

projection means formed at the outward end of said arm and engaging said ribbon span that is doubled back therearound to form said loop, said loop being substantially larger than said capstan to permit ready insertion thereover, and

a clamping projection forceably pressing said ribbon span against said hub of said takeup spool to retain said loop taut around said projection means.

4. The ribbon package as defined in claim 3 wherein said loading assistant further comprises means positively preventing substantial rotation thereof relative to said flanged spool.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,518,893 8/1950 Huether l97l70 2,873,015 2/1959 Gray l97151 2,930,469 3/1960 Roggenstein l9715l 3,022,879 2/1962 Heidt et al l97l72 3,151,723 10/1964 Wendt l97l5l 3,151,724 10/1964 Ross et al l97l5l 3,202,269 8/1-965 Lewis et al.

3,272,304 9/1966 Morelli 197-l X 3,286,808 11/1966 Arena et al l97l72 ERNEST T. WRIGHT, JR., Primary Examiner. 

